A new approach to helping customers behave responsibly can benefit the environment and contribute to tackling climate change.

We can all gain from a new way of helping people to behave more responsibly when they buy according to Prof. Colin Coulson-Thomas, the author of a new white paper: “When shown the implications of different courses of action people can select the option which has the least harmful effect. Doing what they feel is the right thing can benefit themselves, their supplier and the planet.”

According to Coulson-Thomas, “Many concerned people are simply unaware of the full impacts of their buying decisions upon the environment. Informing them of the consequences of available alternatives may enable them to select one that is less damaging or more beneficial. The implications of buying decisions can be complex. The key to enabling responsible behaviour is to help customers understand them.”

The white paper shows how a new generation of support tools can both help people to comprehend tricky issues and make it much easier for them to take difficult buying decisions. Coulson-Thomas finds “companies that use them experience a range of benefits from extra business and quicker responses to closer relationships with more satisfied customers. Many people and boards would like to address challenges such as climate change, but they lack a practical and cost effective way of doing so.”

Coulson-Thomas has found that “With the right support tools companies can increase sales and help customers select more environmentally friendly options when they buy. Pioneering companies are boosting the performance of key workgroups such as front line sales, account management and support staff; speeding up responses; reducing cost, risk and stress; and improving quality and compliance. Quick returns on investment of 20, 30 or 70 times on just one outcome measure can be achieved.”

The Professor explains: “The emphasis shifts from selling to enabling customers to determine the best option from the point of view of the environment and climate change, and making it easy for them to acquire a solution that addresses their individual needs, priorities and concerns. It is possible to do this at home and when travelling by using a laptop, palmtop or the latest generation of mobile phone.”

Coulson-Thomas reveals: “Solutions have been developed that are simple and scalable. Animation and graphics are used to aid comprehension of difficult areas. Different language versions, including Mandarin and Japanese, are relatively easy to produce. Because tools can be updated on line content can be easily changed and kept current. New offerings can be quickly and simultaneously launched worldwide.”

A weed control support tool developed by Cotoco helps prospects to understand the potential environmental implications of different options that are open to them. For example the contamination risk of conventional systems was estimated by the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to be 10, 20, 30 or 40 times greater than that of Nomix TDC. Buyers are provided with information that enables them to behave responsibly and also explain and justify their purchasing decisions.

When the support tool was built, particular emphasis was placed upon helping people to make informed choices. For example, prospective purchasers were shown how spray drift from an alternative such as a knapsack can cause environmental hazards, herbicide damage and health risks. Advantages of alternatives are also explained, for example that spillage can be avoided as a result of not having to mix different liquids. The new white paper “Help customers to benefit the environment when they buy” by Colin Coulson-Thomas can be found and downloaded from CotoCo.Information on other tools for supporting the buyer-seller relationship can be found onhttp://www.cotoco.com.

Further examples of how support tools can make it easier for ordinary people to do difficult jobs, and what high performers do differently in areas such as sales, pricing and purchasing, can be found in Colin Coulson-Thomas’ book ‘Winning Companies; Winning People’ which can be obtained from http://www.policypublications.com. Details of reports setting out critical success factors for purchasing and other activities can also be found on the Policy Publications website.

Dr Colin Coulson-Thomas, author of “Winning Companies; Winning People” is an advisor to corporate clients worldwide. He is the author of over 40 books and reports and has helped over 100 boards to improve director, board and corporate performance; reviewed the processes and practices for winning business and building customer relationships of over 100 companies; and spoken at over 200 national or international conferences in some 40 countries. He can be contacted viahttp://www.coulson-thomas.com